


Interlude: Budgerigars

by CaveFelem



Category: Rush (2013)
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, F/M, Ficlet, Light Angst, Pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaveFelem/pseuds/CaveFelem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James forgets his jackets in bars, forgets he was meant to go to a concert with Suzy, almost certainly forgets he is married about half the time. The one thing he never forgets is making sure his budgerigars are cared for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Interlude: Budgerigars

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story is about the characters as portrayed in the movie Rush. It's not an attempt to claim that any of this happened in real life, apart from the fact that the real James Hunt was deeply fond of animals and owned a whole lot of budgies.
> 
> Thanks to Anonymous Budgie Owner for assuring me that the birds weren't doing anything unbudgielike.

Suzy has never been particularly fond of birds. They are messy, noisy and too fragile, too inscrutable. For all she knows, any of them could drop dead at any moment and she would be none the wiser until it happened. With something solid and less alien, like dogs, she knows she is not going to break them, and they can inform her of their simple needs: walkies, food, playing with a ball. Birds she can't get a hold of. They skitter and flutter and turn their back at her, oblivious to her presence.

James, of course, adores the blasted things. He forgets his jackets in bars, forgets he was meant to go to a concert with Suzy, almost certainly forgets he is married about half the time. The one thing he never forgets is making sure his budgerigars are cared for. Sometimes he sits with them for what seems like hours, observing how they splash about in their bath, or cooing and chirping at them until they land on his hand to have their feathers petted.

It's times like those that he seems the happiest, and so Suzy does not berate him for his darlings filling the house with noise, feathers and grit. She just quietly arranges for the cleaner to come a bit more often.

If she ever wishes he would look as quietly content with her, she makes sure he never notices. It's not often, in any case. Neither of them are the quiet contentment type.

"You've got to hear this", James calls to her from two rooms away. "I've taught Bubbles to talk."

He is sitting on the floor, arm outstretched, with a blue budgie perched on his forefinger. It isn't talking.

"You named him Bubbles? After Horsley?"

"Sure did. Just look at him, they have the same face."

"I don't see the resemblance." Truth be told, she can't even tell the birds apart.

"Say 'rat', Bubbles. Come on, show Suzy what you can do. 'Rat.'"

The bird tilts its head, fluffs up its wings and stays silent. James looks enormously disappointed.

"He did it so well just before you came in. I guess he doesn't like you. Lousy taste in women you have, don't you, Bubbles? Never mind", he addresses Suzy again while still fussing with the bird, "I'll teach him to say 'Niki Lauda is a rat' next. You'll get to hear it then."

"We'll see", she says and turns to go.


End file.
